Cancer doctors warn against tanning pills

Thousands of young women hoping for a summer tan are taking capsules that promise to turn them a beautiful golden colour while protecting them from the sun's harmful rays.

But the vitamin-filled capsules - which are being marketed in high-street chemists as an important skincare product - are to be investigated by a government medical agency following complaints from cancer scientists that women might wrongly believe the once-a-day capsules will prevent them burning on the beach. Thousands of people develop skin cancer every year as a result of excessive sunbathing.

Imedeen Tan Optimizer is claimed by its Danish manufacturer, Ferrosan A/S, to 'prepare the skin for the sun by promoting its own sun protection mechanism'.

Ferrosan claims that interaction between the natural ingredients of palm fruit extract, lycopene, vitamin C and vitamin E increases the production of melanin, the pigment in the skin that protects the body from ultraviolet rays.

The capsules, which sell at £37.50 for a box of 60, were launched in May with an advertising campaign featuring Danish supermodel Helena Christensen. Sales have been 'very successful', according to the company, which did not want to specify how many customers it has. But it is thought that thousands of women and teenagers have been taking the pills before and during their holidays this summer.

Cancer Research UK, the leading cancer charity in Britain, is warning that the capsules afford no protection against the sun. It is writing to the Government's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency this week asking for an investigation. The agency says it will investigate any complaint made by the charity.

Dr Richard Sullivan, scientific adviser to Cancer Research UK, said: 'This is dangerous because it makes people feel safe in the sun.' He said the company's documentation outlining two studies carried out on the capsules were 'misleading pseudo-science', and added: 'There is no such thing as a safe tan anyway. A tan is a sign that your skin has been damaged by exposure to UV radiation.'

A spokeswoman for Imedeen said: 'We don't claim that this product will protect against cancer - the product is not misleading. We are claiming that it can help support the skin's own sun protection mechanism and can help protect against sun-induced skin ageing. These claims are backed up by published scientific research. All material clearly states that it does not replace the use of sun protection lotions.'

But the company said it would be removing a statement from its website tomorrow which states that the capsules 'prepare your skin for the sun, reducing sun sensitivity and redness, protecting against sun-induced damage to the skin'.

This weekend thousands of people will be flying abroad in search of the sun and Britain is set to bask in another heatwave. Tans are still considered a top priority for many men and women despite the fact that more than 6,000 people in the UK are diagnosed each year with malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. A further 59,000 are diagnosed with other, more easily treated forms of the disease.

Some studies have suggested that getting sunburnt just twice in your youth can double the risk of developing skin cancer in later life, and the disease can take between 20 and 30 years to appear.

Doctors are worried that the messages about covering up when the sun is at its hottest, and using a very high-protection factor sun cream, are not being taken seriously. There have been high profile campaigns warning people to be extra vigilant if they see moles appearing, or if there is any itchiness or bleeding on the skin.

In Australia, where lifeguards are trained to warn people when they are burning, there has been a fall in the number of cases among the younger generation, but a corresponding decline has not been seen here. Fair-skinned people with pale eyes are most likely to develop the disease, particularly if they have freckles or burn easily.